Today is 'Waitangi Day', also called 'New Zealand Day', when we celebrate the signing of a treaty between a federation of Maori Chiefs and the English Crown at Waitangi in Northland, NZ on February 6th, 1840. Our nations founding document was both a peace and economic treaty but too soon it went awry, abused by deceitful hearts on both sides. The Land Wars of the 1860's/1870's were the result and Maori were pushed off many 000,000's of acres of land, land eventually given to its favoured elites or sold by the Crown to the settlers pushing in. Often from hapless situations in their homelands they bought the dream of farm ownership and prosperity peddled to them on the far side of the world by the scruple-less keen for the commission from the sale of a steamship fare.
As always there was evil on both sides so some stench remains. Land issues have been redressed 'finally' many times but to no avail in some minds. Justice can become an industry certain folk refuse to close down lest they become redundant.
By world standards we dwell in a peaceful land but, that said, some years Waitangi Day protests are violent. So today we celebrate an imperfect peace - another "'peace, peace', when there is no peace". We are thankful, content with our lot and yet restless as we wait for the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ our King, to come reign and so complete the work he calls us to today and tomorrow. Come Lord Jesus! Until then...heart by heart Gods kingdom grows :)
Find the Missing Peace
Meden hurled
Into the World.
Our role
Fill a gaping hole.
Saving the World
Hands on
Following orders
Piece by piece
Crossing borders.
Mystery shows
Peace by peace
Gods picture grows.
;~pikipikipoet
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